It is widely accepted that a cost effective, dedicated online gas monitoring can provide early diagnostics for transformer failures and enable utilities to a move to condition based asset management programs. Current online DGA technologies are often cost-prohibitive to address a wide fleet of load tap changers (“LTCs”) and transformers. As a result, unexpected failures due to LTC condition and transformer faults still occur that result in expensive outages and power delivery interruption. Accordingly, the demand for real-time, low-cost online DGA monitors is increasing for the aging utility infrastructure.
Fault conditions in power transformers and LTCs cause the breakdown of the insulating oil and paper inside the power transformer or LTC. The breakdown creates gases in the insulating oil. The dissolved gases in the oil are indicative of the fault. So the goal is to measure the dissolved gases in the oil and use their levels to indicate the health of the power transformer or LTC. In order to measure the dissolved gases in the oil of a power transformer or LTC, the gases must be separated from the oil.